Sun Ben
Encyclopedia
Sun Ben, style name
Boyang (伯陽), was the eldest son of Sun Qiang (Sun Jian
's twin brother) and older brother of Sun Fu
. He was three years older than Sun Ce
. He served Sun Jian first in the campaign
against Dong Zhuo
. After Sun Jian's death, he took control of the army and went to serve Yuan Shu
. He would soon rejoin Sun Ce. He died of illness after the Battle of Red Cliffs
. He was succeeded by his son Sun Lin
.
, Zhejiang
) to Sun Qiang, the twin brother of Sun Jian
, as the older one of Sun Qiang's two sons. Sun Qiang died early, and so his sons were taken in by their uncle, Sun Jian. Sun Ben followed his uncle in battle after Sun Jian's return from Luoyang, and led a unit during Sun Jian's attack on iu Biao. When Sun Jian died, Sun Ben, being older than Sun Ce
, gathered many of the soldiers and generals and went to Yuan Shu
, who had been Sun Jian’s liege.
Sun Ben served under Yuan Shu for a time, along with Sun Jian's brother-in-law, Wu Jing (the brother of Sun Jian's wife Lady Wu
). He served as Inspector of Yu province, but the position was mostly honorary, for he was still young. He met Zhou Yu
, and joined him to aid Wu Jing, who was under attack from Liu Yao
. Sun Ce soon arrived as well, and both Zhou Yu and Sun Ben joined his army. Wu Jing was saved, and Sun Ben was reunited with his family under Yuan Shu.
As a reward for his duties, Sun Ben was made Grand Administrator of Yuzhang, while Sun Fu was sent to Luling. When Yuan Shu went out to battle Liu Bei
, Sun Ben was assigned to defend Shouchun. When Yuan Shu declared himself emperor, Sun Ben, Wu Jing, Zhou Yu, and Lu Su
all abandoned him and joined Sun Ce. Sun Ben's wife and children, however, were detained in the city and were unable to join him until later.
In 197, Sun Ce and Lü Bu
allied with each other to defeat Yuan Shu. Sun Ben and Sun Fu led the attack against Liu Xun, easily scoring a victory.
In 200, Sun Ce died, and both Sun Ben and Sun Fu were uneasy about the young Sun Quan
being his heir, both being his elder. The two were stationed in Yuzhang when Cao Cao
began his advance southward. Sun Fu wrote a letter intending to surrender to Cao Cao, but he was stripped of all rank, and his advisors were executed. Sun Ben also was contemplating surrender, but it is said that Zhu Zhi
dissuaded him, and he served at the Battle of Red Cliffs
. A few months after, however, Sun Ben died of illness. His son, Sun Lin
, would succeed him.
At the time of his death, it is said that an edict was in Sun Ben's possession—an edict delivered from the capital offering him a high rank under Cao Cao. It is possible that Sun Ben died of distress.
Chinese style name
A Chinese style name, sometimes also known as a courtesy name , is a given name to be used later in life. After 20 years of age, the zì is assigned in place of one's given name as a symbol of adulthood and respect...
Boyang (伯陽), was the eldest son of Sun Qiang (Sun Jian
Sun Jian
Sun Jian was a military general and warlord during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He allied himself with Yuan Shu in 190 when warlords from eastern China formed a coalition to oust Dong Zhuo, a tyrannical warlord who held the puppet Emperor Xian in his power...
's twin brother) and older brother of Sun Fu
Sun Fu
Sun Fu, style name Guoyi , was a military general serving under the warlord Sun Quan during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history.-Biography:...
. He was three years older than Sun Ce
Sun Ce
Sun Ce was a military general and warlord during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was the oldest of the children of Sun Jian who was killed during the Battle of Xiangyang when Sun Ce was only 16. Sun Ce then broke away from his father's overlord, Yuan Shu, and headed to...
. He served Sun Jian first in the campaign
Campaign against Dong Zhuo
The Campaign against Dong Zhuo was a punitive expedition initiated by a coalition of regional officials and warlords against Dong Zhuo, Chancellor of State, in 190 during the late Han Dynasty of Chinese history...
against Dong Zhuo
Dong Zhuo
Dong Zhuo was a politician and warlord during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He seized control of the capital city Luoyang in 189 when it was in a state of turmoil following the death of Emperor Ling and a clash between the eunuch faction and some court officials led by...
. After Sun Jian's death, he took control of the army and went to serve Yuan Shu
Yuan Shu
Yuan Shu was a warlord during the late Han Dynasty era of Chinese history. He rose to prominence following the collapse of the imperial court in 189. He was said to be a younger cousin of the warlord Yuan Shao, but was actually Yuan Shao's younger half-brother...
. He would soon rejoin Sun Ce. He died of illness after the Battle of Red Cliffs
Battle of Red Cliffs
The Battle of Red Cliffs, otherwise known as the Battle of Chibi, was a decisive battle at the end of the Han Dynasty, immediately prior to the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. It was fought in the winter of 208/9 AD between the allied forces of the southern warlords Liu Bei and Sun Quan...
. He was succeeded by his son Sun Lin
Sun Lin
Sun Lin , style name Zitong , was a regent of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He ruled as regent during the reigns of the emperors Sun Liang and Sun Xiu. His conflict with Sun Liang eventually led him to depose the emperor in favor of Sun Xiu...
.
Early life
Sun Ben was born in Fuchun, Wu (present-day FuyangFuyang, Zhejiang
Fuyang a county-level city under jurisdiction of Hangzhou, the provincial capital of Zhejiang province. Fuyang is located on the Fuchun River, a 285 mile long lower stream of Qiantang River, an important commercial artery, it flows NE to the East China Sea at Hangzhou...
, Zhejiang
Zhejiang
Zhejiang is an eastern coastal province of the People's Republic of China. The word Zhejiang was the old name of the Qiantang River, which passes through Hangzhou, the provincial capital...
) to Sun Qiang, the twin brother of Sun Jian
Sun Jian
Sun Jian was a military general and warlord during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He allied himself with Yuan Shu in 190 when warlords from eastern China formed a coalition to oust Dong Zhuo, a tyrannical warlord who held the puppet Emperor Xian in his power...
, as the older one of Sun Qiang's two sons. Sun Qiang died early, and so his sons were taken in by their uncle, Sun Jian. Sun Ben followed his uncle in battle after Sun Jian's return from Luoyang, and led a unit during Sun Jian's attack on iu Biao. When Sun Jian died, Sun Ben, being older than Sun Ce
Sun Ce
Sun Ce was a military general and warlord during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was the oldest of the children of Sun Jian who was killed during the Battle of Xiangyang when Sun Ce was only 16. Sun Ce then broke away from his father's overlord, Yuan Shu, and headed to...
, gathered many of the soldiers and generals and went to Yuan Shu
Yuan Shu
Yuan Shu was a warlord during the late Han Dynasty era of Chinese history. He rose to prominence following the collapse of the imperial court in 189. He was said to be a younger cousin of the warlord Yuan Shao, but was actually Yuan Shao's younger half-brother...
, who had been Sun Jian’s liege.
Sun Ben served under Yuan Shu for a time, along with Sun Jian's brother-in-law, Wu Jing (the brother of Sun Jian's wife Lady Wu
Lady Wu
Lady Wu was the wife of the warlord Sun Jian, who lived during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. She had five children: four sons, Sun Ce, Sun Quan, Sun Yi, Sun Kuang, and a daughter, Lady Sun...
). He served as Inspector of Yu province, but the position was mostly honorary, for he was still young. He met Zhou Yu
Zhou Yu
Zhou Yu was a military general and strategist who served his close friend, the warlord Sun Ce, during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history...
, and joined him to aid Wu Jing, who was under attack from Liu Yao
Liu Yao (warlord)
Liu Yao , style name Zhengli, was a warlord in the Jiangdong region during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He ruled for a brief period of time before Sun Ce invaded and conquered his territories.-Biography:...
. Sun Ce soon arrived as well, and both Zhou Yu and Sun Ben joined his army. Wu Jing was saved, and Sun Ben was reunited with his family under Yuan Shu.
As a reward for his duties, Sun Ben was made Grand Administrator of Yuzhang, while Sun Fu was sent to Luling. When Yuan Shu went out to battle Liu Bei
Liu Bei
Liu Bei , also known as Liu Xuande, was a warlord, military general and later the founding emperor of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history...
, Sun Ben was assigned to defend Shouchun. When Yuan Shu declared himself emperor, Sun Ben, Wu Jing, Zhou Yu, and Lu Su
Lu Su
Lu Su , style name Zijing , was a politician, militarist and diplomat serving under the warlord Sun Quan during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history...
all abandoned him and joined Sun Ce. Sun Ben's wife and children, however, were detained in the city and were unable to join him until later.
In 197, Sun Ce and Lü Bu
Lü Bu
Lü Bu was a military general and later a minor warlord during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. According to the Records of Three Kingdoms, Lü Bu was highly-skilled in horse-riding and archery, and was thus nicknamed "Flying General"...
allied with each other to defeat Yuan Shu. Sun Ben and Sun Fu led the attack against Liu Xun, easily scoring a victory.
In 200, Sun Ce died, and both Sun Ben and Sun Fu were uneasy about the young Sun Quan
Sun Quan
Sun Quan , son of Sun Jian, formally Emperor Da of Wu, was the founder of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He ruled from 222 to 229 as King of Wu and from 229 to 252 as Emperor of Wu....
being his heir, both being his elder. The two were stationed in Yuzhang when Cao Cao
Cao Cao
Cao Cao was a warlord and the penultimate chancellor of the Eastern Han Dynasty who rose to great power during the dynasty's final years. As one of the central figures of the Three Kingdoms period, he laid the foundations for what was to become the state of Cao Wei and was posthumously titled...
began his advance southward. Sun Fu wrote a letter intending to surrender to Cao Cao, but he was stripped of all rank, and his advisors were executed. Sun Ben also was contemplating surrender, but it is said that Zhu Zhi
Zhu Zhi
Zhu Zhi , style name Junli , was a military general of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. He was from present-day Anji County, Zhejiang....
dissuaded him, and he served at the Battle of Red Cliffs
Battle of Red Cliffs
The Battle of Red Cliffs, otherwise known as the Battle of Chibi, was a decisive battle at the end of the Han Dynasty, immediately prior to the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. It was fought in the winter of 208/9 AD between the allied forces of the southern warlords Liu Bei and Sun Quan...
. A few months after, however, Sun Ben died of illness. His son, Sun Lin
Sun Lin
Sun Lin , style name Zitong , was a regent of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He ruled as regent during the reigns of the emperors Sun Liang and Sun Xiu. His conflict with Sun Liang eventually led him to depose the emperor in favor of Sun Xiu...
, would succeed him.
At the time of his death, it is said that an edict was in Sun Ben's possession—an edict delivered from the capital offering him a high rank under Cao Cao. It is possible that Sun Ben died of distress.